Val d'Isere: The hidden home of skiing's 'madmen'

By Chris Murphy, CNN

Updated 1300 GMT (2100 HKT) December 19, 2012

Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

Trailblazer Oreiller – Henri Oreiller was the first Olympic champion to come from Val d'Isere in the French Alps. A maverick risk taker, he won three golds at the 1948 Winter Games. He used to fly over bumps in the slopes, balancing himself mid air.

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Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

Alpine legend – Jean Claude Killy emerged as a world famous skier in the late 1960s. He honed his skills in Val d'Isere and went on to claim three gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Legend has it he once won a trial race on one leg, having broken the other half way down the slopes.

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Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

Golden boy – Killy (left) won all three disciplines at the 1968 Winter Olympics (downhill, giant slalom, and slalom) but retired at the age of 24. Like Oreiller, Killy tried his hand at motor racing, competing in the Paris-Dakar rally.

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Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

Village people – Val d'Isere is a small village that became an internationally renowned ski resort. This picture, from 1896, shows its humble origins, as a handful of homes cluster round its 11th century church.

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Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

Skiing heritage – Skiing is synonymous with Val d'Isere -- it was principally enlisted to help the villagers get around. But as this snap from 1849 shows, it wasn't long before its snowy slopes were utilized for a ski school.

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Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

One in, one out – Val d'Isere was a treacherous place to get to in the winter months. The Iseran mountain pass, opened in 1937, encouraged more people to visit the village -- which was often was buried in snow eight months of the year -- as skiing became a popular leisure pursuit.

Oh snow! – The 2011 "Criterium de la Premiere Neige" race had to be canceled due to a lack of snow on Val d'Isere's slopes. Hours after the decision was taken to call it off, the village was covered by a downfall but it was too late.

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Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

Up in the Gods – Val d'Isere's altitude of 1,850 meters means it often enjoys snow most of the year round. It has hosted over 130 competitions, making it one of Europe's most popular resorts.

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Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions10 photos

Vonn-tastic – Val d'Isere remains one of the most prestigious meets on the skiing calendar, and is one every racer wants on their roll call of wins. All-conquering U.S. competitor, Lindsey Vonn, has enjoyed plenty of success there.

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Story highlights

Val d'Isere in the French Alps plays host to Alpine Skiing's premier competitions

The tiny mountain village has produced four Olympic champions, all of them characters

Henri Oreiller won first ever skiing golds at 1948 Winter Olympics and went on to race cars

Jean-Claude Killy also took three gold medals and went on to compete in Paris-Dakar Rally

Buried deep in the French Alps, the tiny 11th-century mountain village of Val d'Isere has an unmistakable "je ne sais quoi" that has produced some of the most successful -- and wild-spirited -- skiers in racing history.

Henri Oreiller, the "madman of downhill," and Jean-Claude Killy -- his speed-driven successor -- both spent their formative years on its slopes.

From its humble beginnings as a ski resort in the 1930s, it has become one of the world's top alpine destinations, hosting more top competitions than any other European venue. Local farmers mix with the moneyed elite who stay in its five-star hotels.

"I don't think Val d'Isere would be the place it is today without Henri Oreiller and Jean Claude Killy," writer Yves Perret told CNN.

"To be the resort of champions is what makes you different from a lot of other places. One of the downhill tracks here is called the Oreiller Killy track. They both remain here. They will always be a part of Val d'Isere."

Oreiller was its resident snow showman in the 1940s -- a fearless adrenalin junkie who lived up to his nickname, and claimed skiing's first Olympic gold medals when the sport was introduced at the 1948 Winter Games.

He was famous for tearing recklessly over bumps in the slopes, balancing himself in mid-air. When the thrill of skiing wasn't enough, he moved on to motor racing -- and was killed behind the wheel of a Ferrari in 1962, aged just 36.

Born in Paris, Oreiller has a shrine in the village that he called home, next to his wife.

"Oreiller is the man who inspired a lot of kids in Val d'Isere to try to become ski champions in the post-war period," said Perret, author of a book about one of Val d'Isere's most famous events.

"He was a funny guy who loved to play accordion and loved speed. He had a risky way of skiing, he took all the risks, everyone who saw him said he was an amazing skier."

Killy took his lead from Oreiller, and was part of a group of children who desperately tried to keep pace with Val d'Isere's "madman" while he trained on the slopes.

He went on to emulate Oreiller's golden hat-trick, at the Grenoble Winter Olympics in 1968, and his pursuit of speed and glory once saw him complete a trial race on one leg, legend has it, having broken the other one en route to the finish line.

"Killy was different. He was the guy that was always thinking of being the best and doing more training than anyone," Perret said. "He was, and he still is, always thinking of what can be done to improve things."

Having secured five major titles, Killy quit skiing aged 24. He also turned to motor racing, competing in the Paris to Dakar car rally, before he came out of retirement for one season only, winning the 1973 U.S. pro ski tour.

Now 69, he is still inextricably linked with Val d'Isere and was part of the committee that helped to organize the 2009 Alpine World Ski Championships.

Val d'Isere's village people weren't restricted to male stars -- the Goitschel sisters, Marielle and Christine, were also big names during the 1960s.

Skiing the Colorado backcountry 11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – Skiers seek refuge from crowded ski resorts in the relative quiet of backcountry skiing. Here, skiers climb above the treeline on the east ridge of Galena Mountain near Leadville, Colorado.

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – Skiers make their way on a snowy morning in the backcountry, looking for fresh powder.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – The view from a cabin in the backcountry near Leadville, Colorado is breathtaking. The cabin is on public lands, has no running water and uses a simple wood stove for heat.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – A pristine mountainside of fresh powder begs to be skied in the Colorado backcountry.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – Backcountry ski guide Will Elliott, left, rests at around 12,500 feet on the east ridge of Galena Mountain.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – In the backcountry, skiers strap on avalanche beacons like this one. The beacons are used to locate buried skiers in case of an avalanche.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – Alpine touring boots loosen in "walk" mode to make climbing on skis more comfortable. They can be quickly tightened for the descent.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Colorado backcountry skins – "Skins" attach to the bottom of the skis to make climbing on the snow easier.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – Rita the avalanche-rescue dog takes a break to play in the snow.

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Skiing the Colorado backcountry11 photos

Skiing the Colorado backcountry – A pine marten mugs for the camera in the Colorado backcountry. Pine martens are one of the few animals clever enough to hunt porcupines.

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EXPAND GALLERY

Both took home a gold medal at the 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, while Marielle won a further seven titles at various world championship events.

For a time, they were considered the best female skiers in the world and further enhanced the reputation of their village.

Allied to Val d'Isere's personalities is a world-famous race which takes advantage of the resort's altitude of 1,850 meters and plentiful early-season snow. It proved a masterstroke of timing.

The 2013 World Cup season officially began in Austria in October before moving to North America, but the main European leg traditionally kicks off at Val d'Isere before climaxing in Switzerland in March.

Himalayan experience – The spectacular setting of the Himalayas is the battleground for the Yak Attack -- a 400km feat of mountain biking endurance and nerve. IInvolving 12,000m of climbing over the highest mountain pass in the world, competitors have to cope with the effects of altitude, frostbite and snow blindness.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Desert challenge – The Four Deserts ultramarathon race series challenges competitors to take part in races in the Gobi Desert, the Sahara, the Atacama and Antartica. Each race covers 250km over seven days in some of the world's most inhospitable climates. Athletes carry their own food and equipment with only limited assistance.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Alpine wonders – Paragliding experience and a heap of endurance are the requirements if you take part in the Red Bull X-Alps - a biennial event which requires competitors to traverse the length of the European Alps -- nearly 900km -- from Salzburg in Austria to the Principality of Monaco. The route goes from mountain top to mountain top but you must also trek with all your equipment.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

In the footsteps of Scott – The EWR South Pole Race tests competitors to the limit as they brave bitter temperatures of -40C and blinding snowstorms in their trek across the infamous Antarctic Polar Plateau in the footsteps of great explorers such as British Captain Robert Scott and the Norwegian Captain Roald Amundsen.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Hard core ultra distance – An ultra distance race of 100 miles (160km) is tough enough but the Western States 100 has athletes battling high altitude in the Squaw Valley at 1900m and and over 5500m of climbing -- all in under 30 hours.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Triple test – The Norseman in Norway is surely among the toughest of all ironman events with the start seeing athletes jump into a freezing fjord to swim 3.8km. They cycle 180km through mountainous terrain and the 42km marathon run finishes on top of the 1880m Gaustatoppen mountain.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Amazonian feats – Competitors in Earth in the Jungle Marathon tackle 220km of inhospitable terrain in seven days, battling swamps, poisonous trees and intense heat in the Amazon. Athletes are self-supported to toughen the challenge.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Patagonian adventure – Patagonia is a forbidding but spectacular setting for an endurance adventure race. The teams of four in the Patagonia Expendition Race must tackle 600km -- using foot, bike and kayak over multiple days in the territory straddling Argentina and Chile.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Race Across America – The concept is simple. Cycle 4828km across the United States, either in teams or alone. No less than 51,800m of climbing are involved as you cross 12 states from California to Maryland. The cut off time is just 12 days which means sleep deprivation and exhaustion are major issues, not to mention the changing weather conditions.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Triathlon's blue riband event – The Hawaii Ironman is the most famous event in triathlon but also among its toughest. Intense heat and crosswinds bring competitors to their knees as they tackle the 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and marathon run on Kona Island.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Dead Sea test – The Dead Sea ultra marathon is a 48.7km run with a difference as competitors go from a starting point over 900m above sea level in Amman to finish at the Dead Sea at 400m below sea level. Heat is a major inhibiting factor in this endurance test.

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Chill factor – The Swedish archipelago is the setting for the Otillo, which sees teams of two swim 10km and run 54km over the course of 14 hours. The cold water is continually entered and exited and many choose to swim in their shoes, even wearing a rucksack, and run in wetsuits.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Mountain bike epic – The Cape Epic in South Africa is one of the most famous mountain bike races in the world with teams of two competing over 966km of terrain over six stages with massive climbs and daunting terrain.

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Height of endurance – Alpine climbing is the order of the day in the La Haute Route which starts in Geneva and finishes in Nice. Competitors can expect to ride around 730km over seven stages, with up to 17,000m of ascent. Many of the classic cols of the Tour de France are tackled on the way.

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World's toughest endurance challenges15 photos

Comrades on foot – The start of the annual Comrades Marathon -- a famous ultra distance running race -- which sees over 12,000 runners tackle the 89.2km from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.

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007 destination ideas 7 photos

007 destination ideas7 photos

Istanbul – For "Skyfall," the latest Bond film, "the colors and vibrancy of Istanbul provided us with a great backdrop," producers said.

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007 destination ideas7 photos

Key West, Florida – The Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys pops up throughout 1989's "Licence to Kill."

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007 destination ideas7 photos

The Bahamas – The Thunderball Grotto in the Exuma Cays of the Bahamas was a filming location for "Never Say Never Again" (1983) and for the Tom Hanks-Daryl Hannah film "Splash" (1984).

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Paris – As Bond, Roger Moore chased Grace Jones up the Eiffel Tower in 1985's "A View to a Kill."

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Schilthorn, Switzerland – Known for its stunning alpine views, the Piz Gloria restaurant at the top of Schilthorn in Switzerland is featured in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969).

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Bregenz, Austria – The Bregenz Festival production of Tosca, with its startling open-eye backdrop, featured prominently in 2008's "Quantum of Solace."

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Nunavut, Canada – Auyuittuq National Park, home to Mount Asgard, was the site of Bond's BASE-jumping in "Never Say Never Again."

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"It is a different pressure for the athletes who come from North America. There are 20 or 30 races in the season but Val d'Isere, like Itteville or Wengen, are special.

"It is a little different than winning in other places. Like in tennis if you win Wimbledon or Roland Garros, it's much more important than winning in any other regular tournament. All the great skiers from the last 50 years have won in Val d'Isere."

The special aura that distinguishes Val d'Isere from its many competitors relates directly to its humble roots.

A single, perilous path was all that used to connect the village, tucked away near the border with Italy, to the nearest town 19 miles away where its inhabitants used to trek to sell their molded blue cheeses.

"The village plus the ski resort combines to create that special atmosphere," says Val d'Isere tourism official Jane Jacquemod, whose daughter Ingrid competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.

"We have families who have been here for generations; you get the farmer who has his stable of cows more or less in the middle of the village, rubbing noses with the five-star hotels."